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lefttoread's reviews
532 reviews
Ahhhh, this bored me. It was a solid 3 star read until Mrs Montague came in to it then everything just got stupid. There wasn’t a likeable character in sight and nothing and I mean nothing happened in this book.
Sorry, not for me.
Sorry, not for me.
I needed a bit of Chris Carter in my life, it’s been too long. Now I’m all ready and excited for his new book coming out in the next few months, Hunting Evil!
Chris wrote this short story perfectly, he managed to write a full crime investigation out in 80 pages and he didn’t miss one bit of detail out. I always find myself thinking “how’s he going to figure this one out?” but he always does, he’s very clever and knows what he’s talking about.
Chris wrote this short story perfectly, he managed to write a full crime investigation out in 80 pages and he didn’t miss one bit of detail out. I always find myself thinking “how’s he going to figure this one out?” but he always does, he’s very clever and knows what he’s talking about.
"Then he goes to the oil lamp and blows out the flame, plunging the room into total blackness, a room so dark no shadow could live."
Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker write a haunting prequel to the well known, DRACULA by Bram Stoker. The authors of DRACUL managed to write this brand new story, what feels like a classic because of the inspiration they found from Bram Stokers notes that he left behind.
I find it fascinating that we readers get to have a little insight to what it was like for Bram Stoker as a child, growing up with a family and their nanny, who told the children stories and who knows if they were just that, stories.
"I will gut you from groin to gullet and dance in your ruins as the blood bubbles from your lips if you do not open this door!"
DRACUL is at times, very disturbing. It gives off a Gothic, nightmarish feel as well as being written so beautifully. It is an addictive read and I found myself wanting more every time I put the book down.
As readers we are lead to experience the sickness that Bram endured as a child, we read the stories that Nanna Ellen tells the children and we are made to question everything. Surely vampires are not real, right? It's all fiction and make belief. But what you find while reading this engaging story is that even if it's just for a split second you will think, what if?
"Sometimes our deepest fears are the ones we keep closest to our hearts. You've never stopped believing, you only stopped admitting you believe."
The combination of both Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker was perfect! I loved the characters and the descriptions were written amazingly, with Nanna Ellen the children couldn't quite figure out why she looked different every time they saw her, sometimes she was young and beautiful other times she looked ill and like she had aged a thousand years, the way Nanna Ellen was described was done so effectively, I could see her changing ever so slightly every time she was mentioned. Every element of this book was worthy and I am astounded at how much love I have for it.
"Like life, there is much we do not understand about death."
There are unforgettable scenes in DRACUL, one woman's story on how she became a vampire was amazing! It felt similar to Rosalie's story in ECLIPSE which I loved. I was rooting for her throughout the full book and I wish I got more from her at the end, she was by far one of my favourite characters.
"The story they shared is extraordinary, to say the least, and while most persons would not believe a word of such a tale, I have seen and heard enough in my lifetime to know the only thing we know for certain is that there is much we do not know for certain."
I could go on and on about how amazing this story is but you won't truly know until you read it. I'm in an obsessive state right now and I'm not sure if I'll ever get out of it. DRACUL is another book I just had to hug when I finished it, for making me so so happy.
Oh, and if you do read it, make sure you read the author's notes at the end - you won't want to miss out.
"Will you stay with me for a while? she asks softly.
I will stay with you always."
Full review: https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/2019/01/27/book-review-dracul-by-dacre-stoker-j-d-barker/
Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker write a haunting prequel to the well known, DRACULA by Bram Stoker. The authors of DRACUL managed to write this brand new story, what feels like a classic because of the inspiration they found from Bram Stokers notes that he left behind.
I find it fascinating that we readers get to have a little insight to what it was like for Bram Stoker as a child, growing up with a family and their nanny, who told the children stories and who knows if they were just that, stories.
"I will gut you from groin to gullet and dance in your ruins as the blood bubbles from your lips if you do not open this door!"
DRACUL is at times, very disturbing. It gives off a Gothic, nightmarish feel as well as being written so beautifully. It is an addictive read and I found myself wanting more every time I put the book down.
As readers we are lead to experience the sickness that Bram endured as a child, we read the stories that Nanna Ellen tells the children and we are made to question everything. Surely vampires are not real, right? It's all fiction and make belief. But what you find while reading this engaging story is that even if it's just for a split second you will think, what if?
"Sometimes our deepest fears are the ones we keep closest to our hearts. You've never stopped believing, you only stopped admitting you believe."
The combination of both Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker was perfect! I loved the characters and the descriptions were written amazingly, with Nanna Ellen the children couldn't quite figure out why she looked different every time they saw her, sometimes she was young and beautiful other times she looked ill and like she had aged a thousand years, the way Nanna Ellen was described was done so effectively, I could see her changing ever so slightly every time she was mentioned. Every element of this book was worthy and I am astounded at how much love I have for it.
"Like life, there is much we do not understand about death."
There are unforgettable scenes in DRACUL, one woman's story on how she became a vampire was amazing! It felt similar to Rosalie's story in ECLIPSE which I loved. I was rooting for her throughout the full book and I wish I got more from her at the end, she was by far one of my favourite characters.
"The story they shared is extraordinary, to say the least, and while most persons would not believe a word of such a tale, I have seen and heard enough in my lifetime to know the only thing we know for certain is that there is much we do not know for certain."
I could go on and on about how amazing this story is but you won't truly know until you read it. I'm in an obsessive state right now and I'm not sure if I'll ever get out of it. DRACUL is another book I just had to hug when I finished it, for making me so so happy.
Oh, and if you do read it, make sure you read the author's notes at the end - you won't want to miss out.
"Will you stay with me for a while? she asks softly.
I will stay with you always."
Full review: https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/2019/01/27/book-review-dracul-by-dacre-stoker-j-d-barker/
I was recently introduced to some Swedish thrillers, The Joona Linna series by Lars Kepler and I'm loving those books. Then I got accepted for an ARC copy of AFTER SHE'S GONE, another Scandinavian thriller/mystery novel and I enjoyed this one too!
AFTER SHE'S GONE is the second in a series and I read this novel before reading the first (shocking, I know!) but AFTER SHE'S GONE can be read as a standalone and more than anything, it has made me want to read the first book in the series.
Just like the Joona Linna series by Lars Kepler, AFTER SHE'S GONE is an atmospheric read, you'll want to make sure you're under a cosy blanket with a nice warm cup of coffee as this book gives off some chills.
The book is set in a small little town in Sweden were a young boy stumbles across a diary, this diary could be a link to an ongoing crime investigation, unfortunately the boy can not take the diary to the police or tell them how he came across it as he has a secret of his own.
The story has many twists and turns that leaves the reader guessing until the very end. It was a slow starter but it became very entertaining the further as it went on.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Find my full review here - https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/
AFTER SHE'S GONE is the second in a series and I read this novel before reading the first (shocking, I know!) but AFTER SHE'S GONE can be read as a standalone and more than anything, it has made me want to read the first book in the series.
Just like the Joona Linna series by Lars Kepler, AFTER SHE'S GONE is an atmospheric read, you'll want to make sure you're under a cosy blanket with a nice warm cup of coffee as this book gives off some chills.
The book is set in a small little town in Sweden were a young boy stumbles across a diary, this diary could be a link to an ongoing crime investigation, unfortunately the boy can not take the diary to the police or tell them how he came across it as he has a secret of his own.
The story has many twists and turns that leaves the reader guessing until the very end. It was a slow starter but it became very entertaining the further as it went on.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Find my full review here - https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/
